She Walked Away
by Mandi-Solo
Summary: (Songfic) Sequel to "Letter." Ashely Spinelli ran away. Why? Something was hurting her heart... but will she return? Songs "She Walked Away" and "Never Alone "by BarlowGirl.
1. Default Chapter

AN: Okay guys, this is what's going down. I'm gonna give you guys the song, and the story, but I want you guys to tell me how it ends, okay? After you read this story, and you review, in your review, I want you to tell me how you want it to end, and I'll gather up all the reviews, and pick the one that either gets the most suggestions, or the one I like the most, it all depends. But this is a story where you, the readers, get to decide how this story will end. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Recess, nor do I own _She Walked Away_.

_Lyrics._

She Walked Away

She couldn't take one more day 

_Home was more her prison now_

_Independence called out_

She had to get it 

"No!" Ashley Spinelli screamed, running away from her parents, who continued to yell and curse at her. With tears of anger and frustration, she snatched her duffle bag and headed for the front door.

"If you walk out that door, young lady," her father warned. "You're not coming back in!"

Ashley didn't even glance behind her. She threw the front door open, kicked the screen door until it banged against the wall, and walked over to her jeep. Opening the door and throwing her duffle bag in the passenger seat, she put the car in drive, and drove out of the neighborhood with screeching tires.

_A fight was all she needed_

_To give her reason_

_She slammed the door with no goodbye_

_And knew that it was time_

"I won't go back," Ashley said to herself, wiping away the tears stained on her pink cheeks. "They can't control me. They won't control me. I won't have to listen to them anymore."

At the thought of her parents no longer being the boss of her, Ashley laughed, feeling somewhat better than she did before.

_Now she's driving too fast_

_She didn't care to glance behind_

_And through her tears she laughed_

_It's time to kiss the past goodbye_

_I'm finally on my own_

_Don't try to tell me no_

_There's so much more for me_

_Just watch what I will be_

_She walked away_

_Couldn't say why she was leaving_

_She walked away_

_She left all she had believe in_

_She walked away_

TJ Detweiler sat at his desk, playing with a pencil with his fingers. He waited with the phone on his ear as it kept on ringing. Ashley had told him to call her, she said something was wrong, and she needed to talk. But, now that he's calling, she's not picking up.

"Come on Ash, pick up." TJ muttered into the phone, tapping the pencil on the desk.

"Hello?" Came the tired voice of Ashley's father.

"Hey, Mr. S, is Ashley there?"

"Oh, TJ, she's not with you?"

TJ frowned, "no, she told me to call her. She's not there?"

"No… she left."

TJ felt uncomfortable suddenly. "Where'd she go?"

"We don't know. We thought she'd go to your house. Apparently not."

"When did she leave?" TJ almost demanded.

"About an hour ago. Took her jeep and left."

"Okay, thanks."

"Please find her, TJ."

TJ hung up, and quickly opened a chat room on his computer.

"VinceDaMan: Hey TJ, what's the prob?" Vince's screen name popped up almost instantly.

"GeniousGirl: Did something happen to Ash?" Gretchen's words flew onto the screen.

"TJDoubleTrouble: guys, Ash ran away." TJ typed quickly, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.

"ArmyGuy: omg…why?" Gus typed.

"PeaceKeeper: Maybe she just went someplace to relax?" Mikey suggested.

"TJDoubleTrouble: no, Mike, Ash isn't like that. She doesn't run away just to relax. She would have told me."

"VinceDaMan: so she didn't say anything to you at all?"

"TJDoubleTrouble: not a single word. All she told me was to call her today, 'cause she said she was upset about something and she wanted to talk about it."

"GeniousGirl: that might be it. Maybe that something went too far and she left?"

"ArmyGuy: we've got to find her."

"TJDoubleTrouble: my thoughts exactly, guys. Let's spilt up around town and search for her."

Not a day goes by 

_For the ones she's left behind_

_They're always asking why_

_And thoughts of her consume their minds_

TJ sat on his porch, exhausted from looking all over town for Ashley, and no luck. She must have left town already, because she wasn't anywhere. The gang had called TJ, letting him know that they didn't find anything.

_God, please let her know_

_The love we tried to show_

_We'd promise anything_

_If you'd just bring her home_

She walked away 

_Couldn't say why she was leaving_

_She walked away_

_She left all she had believe in_

_She walked away_

"Something must have really made her mad," TJ muttered to himself, "to cause her to run away like this. Oh Ash… come home." A single tear fell from his eye, and onto his hand that rested on his knee.

Tell her we love her 

_Tell her she's wanted_

_One more thing, God_

_Tell her please come home_

_Please come home_

_She walked away_

_Couldn't say why she was leaving_

_She walked away_

_She left all she had believed in_

She walked away 

Deep in his heart, TJ knew that Ashley would return home. She would come back, and talk the entire thing out until she was no longer upset. How he longed for that to happen. How he longed to see her face again. How he longed to just hold her in his arms. How he missed her… .

The choice is yours alone now Tell me how this story ends…. 


	2. Never Alone

AN: Hey guys, what's up? Sorry it took a while to get back with you on the story, I had to wait until I got enough great ideas. Not to mention my computer broke since my last chapter. The computer I normally use is the one with all my stories on it, but the internet has broken since then, and it completely lags so much! And I use my dads computer to check emails and stuff, but i cant upload any stories, cuzim not really allowed to write stuff on my dads computer lol. Now, I must say, all these ideas were awesome, and I really liked what you guys got in your minds! It was so hard to pick just one idea, so I decided that I would combine all of yours in the best way I can, and I hope you all enjoy it! I'll post replies at the end so that way you guys know who wanted what and all that. Oh, and I decided to make this chapter a songfic, too. The song is _Never Alone_ by BarlowGirl. I hope you like it!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Recess or _Never Alone_

_Lyrics are written like this, but if they aren't, then you can tell 'cause they're separated from the story._

TJ sat by himself at a small table in the back of the most popular café in town. His mind continued to drift as classmates walked around him, minding their own business. It had been an entire year since Ashley Spinelli's disappearance, and TJ still felt tremendous sorrow in his heart. The rest of the world seemed to move on with their lives, but TJ's life was in slow motion since that day. He continued to wait for her face to burst through the doors, her warm smile melting the coldness he felt in his heart, her lips reminding him of her love.

_I waited for you today_

_But you didn't show_

_No, no, no_

_I needed you today_

_So where did you go?_

_--_

Another tear fell from his eye, softly landing on the tiled table where his arms lay. He would never be able to let go of her, never be able to move on with his life. He loved her too much to do that. No matter how much his friends and family try to tell him to move on, he would never be able to allow himself that pain, that torment, of loosing the one thing he loved most in the world.

"If only I had called her sooner," he whispered the same words he had said for the past year. "Maybe she would be here in my arms… maybe she would be safe, and maybe she would be happy…." His voice grew softer than a whisper, his head dropping down onto his forearms.

"If only I had called before she left," he continued on, only causing his pain to grow. "Maybe we could have talked it out… maybe her pain would have healed." Another tear fell from his eye, but it didn't fall as far as the first one, and it just brushed from his cheek to his hand. "But I was too late… she was already gone. I missed her… I can't believe I missed her like that."

_You told me to call_

_Said you'd be there_

_And though I haven't seen you_

_Are you still there?_

TJ felt a hand place on his shoulder, and he turned his head to look up at Vince, his face grim. "What?" He said, just wishing he could be left alone in his misery.

"TJ, come on," Vince said, taking the seat next to him, but not removing his hand. "It's been a year, man, you've got to move on."

"And just forget about her?" He replied back sharply. "I don't think so, Vince. I can't just forget about her."

"I'm not telling you to forget, I'm telling you to move on," Vince said, edge in his voice. "She's been gone a year, there's hardly a chance she'll come back. You've got to face the facts."

"If I face the facts, I'll loose every hope I ever had in the world," he countered. "And if I loose hope, I forget my most precious memories. If I forget my most precious memories, then I'll forget the one person I ever loved more than anything else in the world." TJ sat up, staring at his friend right in the eye. With a shake of his head, he said coldly, "You're asking the impossible."

With a final stare, he stood up and left Vince sitting alone. He quickly brushed past the crowd, stormed off to his car, and drove home.

_I cry out with no reply And I can't feel you by my side_

_So I'll hold tight to what I know_

_You're here and I'm never alone_

_--_

Ashley felt her lungs tighten in her chest, more tears streaming down her face as a doctor and a dozen nurses moved quickly around her. Glancing around the room at every face that passed her, she breathed through her open mouth, trying to concentrate on her breaths rather than her screams.

She dared not glance down at her legs, though. Flaming hot pain shot up her thighs and to her chest, and the numbness wasn't taking effect yet. Never before had she felt such pain, and she never wanted to feel it again. Cursing the world around her, she closed her eyes as she finally let out a loud scream of pain.

"**_TJ!_**"

She didn't even realize what she screamed, but she continued to shout that name out every time the hot pain shot up her body. With each cry, she felt safer, not in as much pain. Not knowing why, she continued to scream the name, longing for it's feeling of safety it brought to her.

_And though I cannot see you_

_And I can't explain why_

_Such a deep, deep reassurance _

_You've placed in my life_

_--_

"Miss?" a soft voice called for her, waking her up from her light doze.

Ashley opened her eyes slowly, the room appearing as if it were spinning. Blinking away darkness, the spinning stopping, she looked at a small woman standing over her. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun, her face tan, and her eyes a soft brown. Her smile was warm, and Ashley took in its warmth as comfort.

"Are you alright, Miss?" The nurse said.

Ashley nodded, her words choked in her throat. She wondered why it felt so hard to speak, and she gently rubbed her throat, easing some pain.

"Oh, you strained your voice during the operation, Miss," the nurse said, as if reading her mind.

Ashley frowned, and the nurse continued. "You kept screaming out 'TJ, TJ!'"

"TJ?" Ashley whispered, her heart beating faster. "I was… screaming TJ?"

The nurse nodded, "You sure were. Screaming it pretty loud, too, if I do say so. Who is this TJ? Is he your husband?"

Ashley blushed, the thought of TJ as her husband brought warmth and joy to her heart. She didn't want that feeling to leave her.

"No, he's not… my husband," she finally said.

"Is he the father of your child, then?" the nurse asked.

Ashley smiled, the thought of her two-month-old son bringing more joy. "Yes, he's the father." She felt low for never telling TJ that he had a son, let alone that she was even pregnant. Regret filled her soul as she thought of the last time she had seen him. It was so long ago, yet it still felt as if it were only yesterday. She had carved the memory of his face in her mind, holding onto it tightly; never wanting to loose that small memory she had left of him.

The nurse smiled, "Do you need anything, Miss?"

'What do I need?' Ashley thought, her mind racing as she began to think more of TJ. She looked up at the nurse, "is there a phone I could use?"

"There is one here," replied the nurse, walking to the small table near the bed, a small pink phone lay there. "You may use it, just dial one before you dial the number."

Ashley nodded, and gave a smile of thanks. With a smile in return, the nurse stepped out, shutting the door behind her.

And she stared at the phone, her heart screaming at her to call TJ, to tell him where she was, how she was doing, that he had a son. But the most important thing she wanted to do was to call him to tell him she loved him. She just had to call him, feel the safety she always had around him. Feel the reassurance of his love, of his presence again.

_We cannot separate_

'_Cause you're part of me_

_And though you're invisible_

_I'll trust the unseen_

_--_

Just as soon as he stepped inside the house, the phone rang. With a groan, TJ picked up the phone, wondering why the world wouldn't just let him be.

"Hello?"

"Uh… TJ?"

He froze. That voice… it was a voice he had not heard in a year. "Y-yes?"

"TJ, it's me, Ashley."

He coughed; his words choked in his throat as every relating happiness emotion poured into his heart at once. "Ashley? Is it really you?"

"It's been a long time, TJ," she whispered, sounding like she was crying on the other side. "Too long…."

"That it has…" he said, feeling as though she had never left, as though he had just spoke with her the day before. "How are you?"

"I'm at the hospital," she said slowly.

"What? Are you okay? What happened?"

"TJ, could you come visit me? I really need to speak with you…."

"I'll be right there!"

Ashley waited patiently, twiddling her fingers that were placed on her lap, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She felt as if she would burst out of bed and dance around for hours, but she continued to remain calm. She didn't want to seem too excited to see him, even though she felt that way deep down.

Doubt began to pour into her as she began to think of how long it had been since she'd actually seen him. She wondered if he still loved her like he did before, if he still wanted her. And what about her son? Would TJ want to claim him? Her nervousness grew, and she twiddled her fingers more rapidly.

"Miss?" Came the small voice of the nurse from earlier, followed by her tan face. "You have a visitor." From the look in her eye, Ashley could tell she knew that that was TJ, the father of her child, the man who owned her heart.

"Please, let him in," Ashley said, her voice shaking.

TJ stepped inside slowly, as if he were walking in on a sleeping lion without a weapon. In his hands was a bouquet of flowers – white lilies, her favorite. Ashley fought back the tears as he neared her, giving her a peck on the cheek. Oh, how she longed he would just kiss her lips, pull her into a tight embrace, and never let go of her again.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, his eyes pleading with hers to know the truth.

She couldn't tell him the truth staring at him, so she moved her eyes to the sheets, her fingers still twiddling. "I've been better, I can honestly say that."

"What happened?" He said, taking a seat, his eyes still on her face.

"I was in a car accident," she whispered. "The driver of the other car was drunk. Luckily, he hit more of the light post than me. I came out with a broken leg."

His eyes darted slowly to her legs, but then moved back to her face. "Why did you go, Ashley?"

She couldn't hold back the tears, her fingers still moving quickly as she tried to form her words. But she couldn't even speak; it grew too hard for her.

He saw the pain, and he reached for her hands, stopping her fingers, and wrapped them around his own. "Ashley," he whispered softly. "I missed you so much. I never stopped thinking about you since the day you left me." She could hear the pain in his voice, and she wept more. "I never forgot about you, Ash. I kept expecting you to return to me, to come home so things could become normal again."

"I'm sorry," was all she could manage to say.

"Ashley, what happened that made you leave for so long?"

She swallowed back her emotions; fighting the urge to break down and cry, forget it all. But she knew she had to tell him, and he was waiting for an answer. "I was pregnant, TJ…."

Ashley grew afraid of his silence, so she rambled on, "I know it's a shock to hear, but it's true. I found out I was pregnant, and I was going to tell you that night on the phone, because I didn't want anyone else to know, and everyone was around that day. But, when I got home, my parents found my test, and they questioned me about it. They began to tell me I had to get a job, that they wouldn't pay for an abortion and they wouldn't pay my financial needs. They said that if I got pregnant, that was my adult decision, and I had to become an adult if I wanted to keep that child.

"And I wanted to keep him, TJ. I wanted to keep him because he was your son, and I wanted to have him because I wanted to raise him with you. I wanted us to be a family; I wanted us to live happily. But my parents told me that I was too young, and that you would never want my child because we weren't married. So I was afraid… and I was angry… and I was hurt… so, I took off."

She began to weep, pulling her hands out of his to bury her face as tears poured from her eyes. For an entire year she kept the burden in her heart, locking it away where no one could see. Now that it was out, she was able to cry for the lost year.

TJ sat on the bed next to her, turning her around to face him, pulling her hands away from her face to look at her eyes. "Ashley, you know I love you more than anything, right?"

She nodded slowly, trying to avoid his eyes.

He grabbed her chin, and whispered softly, "I honestly love you, Ashley. And if we have a son, then we have a son. I want that child because he's yours, and I want to raise him with you, and I want a family with you and I want us to live happily."

She just looked at him, afraid to ruin the moment, afraid that if she spoke a word he would vanish and she would be left alone again.

He brushed his lips against hers, and whispered again, "marry me, Ashley. I love you so much, please, marry me."

With another wave of tears, she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him as if her life depended on it. "Yes!" She cried, kissing him again. "Yes!"

_I cry out with no reply_

_And I can't feel you by my side_

_So I'll hold tight to what I know_

_You're here and I'm never alone_

_--_

Ashley walked hand in hand with TJ, her leg growing stronger with each step. The doctor said she would be able to walk freely again in a matter of weeks, if she kept practicing like she had been. And she will, because that was the time when TJ came to visit her. He would come in the late afternoon, take her for a walk around the hospital, bring her back, and they would talk about the wedding, and about their son, Joey. TJ finally met his son, and he wept at the first sight of him. Ashley burned that memory in her mind, not wanting to loose the sight of her fiancé and her son finally meeting after so long.

"Did you tell the others, yet?" Ashley asked as they turned around the corner.

TJ shook his head, and he brought her hand up and kissed it gently. "I haven't told anyone about you yet. I want them to see you when you are fully healed. On our wedding day."

She laughed, "But how will they know it's our wedding day unless we tell them?"

He grinned at her, "Just leave that up to me, okay? I've got everything worked out perfectly."

She rubbed one of his fingers with her thumb, her eyes swelling with tears. "I don't doubt you."

They walked around another corner, Ashley's hospital room just down the hall. Her heart dropped as they grew nearer to it. TJ would be leaving soon, and she would be left alone again. She squeezed his hand, not wanting to let go of it again. He squeezed her hand back, as if he felt the same way. How she was able to find this kind of love, she didn't understand. But she never wanted to let go of it, even for a second.

And in four weeks, she would be marrying this man at her side, and she will forever be able to wake up with his face next to hers, his arms around her, and their son to care for. Just the thought of her wedding day sent her heart soaring. She couldn't wait until she would forever be his.

AN: what did you guys think? I'm thinking of putting their wedding in the next chapter, what do you think? Well, I hope you liked how I put all your ideas together, I truly enjoyed seeing what you guys had to say. Now, here's the next thing I want you guys to help me with. I'm having total writers block, and I don't know how I should put the rest of the gang's opinion on the marriage. Give me your input, please! Okay, moving on! I hope I didn't forget any of you! If I did, feel free to yell at me in your review.

Replies!

Goofy monkey child: yeah, they are cool lyrics, huh? I thought about your idea, and I really liked it, 'cause death is a major plot twist. Thanks for the idea, I hope you like what I put instead. I put she was in a car accident instead of death, is that good?

Taelia: thanks for the idea! I hope you don't mind that it's one year, though? But I hope you like what I put!

Tina: that's a really pretty poem! But, I'm a little confused, what did you think of my story?

Eathra: love the idea, used it, too. Hope you like how I put it! Thanks!

The next political dynasty: thanks! I hope you liked what I put, 'cause I loved your idea!


	3. What I Really Want To Say

AN: Hello all! This is it, the final chapter to this songfic. I must say, I think this is the most powerful romance fic I've ever written. Just reading over the last chapter, I can hardly believe that I wrote it! I thought for the longest time that someone else posted it under my name. Stupid, huh? Anyways, it took me a long time to find a song to use for this chapter. At first I was going to use _The Reason_, but everyone uses that one! But, after going through a list in my head of cute, romantic songs, I came up with _What I Really Want To Say_ by Steven Curtis Chapman. It's a very romantic song, and I thought it would be perfect for this ending. I hope you all enjoyed this story as I have writing it. Thank you for your reviews, and thank you for reading it.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Recess or _What I Really Want To Say_.

I say I love you, I say I need you 

_I try so many ways to say how my heart beats for you_

_I say I'm always thinking about you_

_There's no way I'd want to face this world without you_

_And even though these words come from deep inside me_

_There's so much more I don't have the words to say_

The wedding couldn't have come sooner. TJ felt lightheaded all night, hardly able to get any sleep. Vince had to keep him from sneaking away in the middle of the night, keeping him on full lock-down. But with the hour growing nearer and nearer, he couldn't hold it in any longer.

Ashley asked Gretchen to be her maid of honor, and Joey – TJ's new son – was going to be their ring bearer. It was hard to choose one best man, so TJ had to choose Vince, Mikey and Gus. After she returned home, with a grandson in tow, Ashley's parents couldn't refuse to give her away at her own wedding. Her mother would carry little Joey with TJ's mother, and both fathers would bring Ashley down the aisle.

Everything was going to turn out wonderful, and yet TJ still didn't tell Ashley everything. They had just been too busy talking about wedding plans, Joey, and where they would live to talk about anything else.

It was hard to think of his life without her now. The pain he felt the year she left still lingered in his heart. It was a year he never wanted to relive, a year he wished he could have just passed through. But, when he stopped to think about it, that year of her not being there drew them together. Their bond was stronger than he has ever known it to be. And that, he would never change for anything in the world.

'_Cause what I really want to say_

_Is what the sun would say to the sky_

_For giving it a place to come alive_

_But my words get in the way_

_Of what I really want to say_

_Oh, what I really want to say_

Ashley looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was pulled back, tight curls falling through the hair clip in the back of her head. A small tiara was placed in front of her curls, holding onto the veil. Her dress was long, and she couldn't help but feel like a princess. The sleeves were made of lace, running along her arms smoothly and ending in a half diamond on the back of her hands. The dress resembled a corset, tight and allowing her to look skinny and have a perfect form. From under the corset, the dress flowed down her legs, capturing every curve perfectly. Lace was cut and sewn in the front of the dress, in a half diamond matching the sleeves.

Even though she looked gorgeous, she hoped it would be enough for TJ. She found herself thinking if she was more than enough for him. If she was the right woman for him to marry. She loved him so much, she wanted to be sure he had everything he ever wanted, even if she wasn't in the picture.

She had asked him that from time to time, and he would always tell her that she was too much for him. He would say that he felt he wasn't good enough for her, and how he felt he needed to make so much up to her. They would always argue over how they were not good enough for each other, because their love was too great. And in the end they would laugh about it all.

Ashley felt the memories in her heart, and it brought tears to her eyes. "I'm actually getting married," She whispered to herself. She had to blink the tears away, not wanting to smear the make up her mother took so long to put on. After all this time, she was finally marrying the man she loved.

_I know that sometimes my words can be as hard as stone_

_And sometimes my words have left you feeling so alone_

_So please forgive me and hear these words I'm saying now_

_I will spend my whole life looking for a way somehow_

_To let you know just how precious you are to me_

_I'll use the best words I know but I still won't say it all_

TJ stood at the altar, watching as Vince, Mikey and Gus walked in a triangle, leading Gretchen down the aisle. The music in the room was soft, just a smooth symphony to lead them down. Each one of the men patted their friend on the back, and Gretchen winked at TJ as she walked to the other side of the altar. TJ grinned back at her, and then turned his head.

His mother and Ashley's mother were carrying little Joey in their arms. In his arms was a small white pillow, with the rings tied together with a bow. His little face looked up at his father, and TJ felt his heart melt as his son smiled up at him. The mothers brought Joey to him, and Vince took the rings from the pillow, handing one to Gus, and Joey was handed to Mikey.

The mothers each gave TJ a kiss on the cheek, and then took their seats in the front row. The music changed, and everyone turned their heads. TJ straightened his back, feeling his heart skip numerous beats. The back doors opened, and most women in the room gasped. TJ felt the air fly out of his lungs as well at the sight of her.

_'Cause what I really want to say_

_Is what the sun would say to the sky_

_For giving it a place to come alive_

_But my words get in the way_

_Of what I really want to say_

_Oh, what I really want to say_

He couldn't help but feel amazed at how she looked. Even from across the room he could tell she was holding back the tears by laughing lightly. Their fathers each carried one of her arms, and they led her down across the white carpet. Everyone stood up as she walked passed them. Lights were flashing as people were taking pictures, and TJ couldn't help but laugh as well.

The fathers kissed her cheek when they brought her up to the altar, and her father turned to TJ. "You take care of her," he whispered, giving his new son an embrace.

"I promise I will," TJ answered.

His father turned to embrace him as well, "I'm so proud of you, son."

"Thank you," TJ replied, not allowing the tears in his eyes to form. The fathers the took their seats next to their wives, and Ashley took her place by TJ's side.

"This is it," she whispered, her eyes glistening with tears. "Do you want to change your mind? Last chance."

TJ laughed, and squeezed her hand softly. "No way that's going to happen."

_It's like a tale too great to be told_

_It's something that my heart can only show_

_I'm gonna take my whole life_

_Just to let you know_

_What I really want to say_

_Oh, what I really want to say to you_

_What I really want to say_

_Oh, what I really want to say._


End file.
